I like China Bayles, the big-city Texas hot-shot criminal lawyer who
gives (almost all of) it up to start an herb store in a small town. She does
keep her lawyer paperwork up-to-date which gives her credibility and access
to information she would not otherwise be privy to as she somehow becomes
involved in a lot of the town's crimes. Unlike most main characters, China's
personal life is an integral part of the stories. There is also quite a bit
of information about herbs, with one herb emphasized in each book.
To really understand the characters and some of the references, it is
important to read the books in order from the beginning. I'm on my second
read through the series.
China
even has her own website with herbal information, recipes, crafts, an
herbal zodiac (herb gardening by the moon) and information about the books.
